Brenda Hurst Millner
Brenda Hurst Millner
“To ease another’s heartache is to forget one’s own” – Abraham Lincoln.
Brenda Hurst Millner passed away at home on July 11, 2025, in Spout Spring, Virginia, surrounded by her loving family. Until the end, she remained the strong-willed, independent, generous, caring woman she was since childhood, as she raised her five children, and while battling chronic autoimmune and liver disease.
Brenda, known as “Legs” in high school or “Granny” in her later years, was born in Dott, W. Va, on June 21, 1944. She was the daughter of the late Amos and Ora Mae Hurst. She gloriously spent her childhood years in Covel, W. Va, as part of a very large, boisterous, close-knit family of 14. She played in the creek, walked the train tracks, refused to wear dresses, challenged her teachers daily, and caused general mischief, much to her mom’s dismay. She fiercely loved each of her siblings and often told her kids, “We didn’t have money, but we had so much love”.
After graduating from Herndon High School, her mom and siblings encouraged her to enroll in the Lynchburg General School of Nursing. They knew that despite her tough exterior, she had an innate capacity for compassion, caring, empathy, and healing. After graduating in 1965, she was a beloved nurse to many at Virginia Baptist Hospital, Westminster Canterbury, The Summit at Wyndhurst, and Home Recovery. She devoted her life to providing compassionate, ethical care to geriatric patients.
While she adored being a nurse, her greatest joy and accomplishment was being a mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, and aunt. She was never happier than when her whole family came together for celebrations, a game of Uno, a round of horseshoes, and some home-cooked southern food. She so loved being a mother that after she had her two sons and daughter in her twenties, she surprised everyone with twin daughters at the age of 42. She worked hard to raise all five of her children and was overjoyed as they brought her five grandchildren. Despite the ups and downs of life, she always believed each of her children and grandchildren was uniquely precious and a blessing from heaven.
Brenda left a deep impression on her family, her friends, her patients, and her caregivers. She was a tireless advocate for those less fortunate, a deep believer in spreading kindness in small and big ways, a faithful Christian, a champion for the small guy, an avid Hokie / Mountaineer fan, a pretend Wahoo fan, a reality TV binger, an animal lover, a hopeless gambler sure to be the next big winner, a bit of a potty-mouth, a magician with babies, a mesmerizing story- teller, a self-professed psychic, and always the life of a party (even from a recliner).
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her beloved son, Eric Bernard Reasor; her treasured sisters, Sharon Elizabeth Gibson and Iris Gayle Broyles; her cherished brother, Larry Bernard Hurst; and her dear siblings, Wilma Geraldine Hurst, Hilda Ernestine Hurst, Onsby Dale Hurst, Edsel Emory Hurst, and Reginald Denny Hurst.
Left to cherish her memory are her son, Mark Howard Reasor; her daughter, Jennifer Coughlin (Stephen); her daughters, Lizzie and Becca Millner; her treasured grandchildren, Nolan, Claire, Camryn, and Jordan; her deeply loved siblings, Jerry Hurst, Carlos Hurst, and Randall Hurst; and her many nieces and nephews that she held dear.
The family wishes to express their sincere gratitude to the dedicated staff at Heartland Hospice, who provided compassionate support to Brenda and her family. We are deeply grateful to Rosa, Tiwana, Jill, Melissa, Michelle, and John for their loving and attentive care of Brenda over the past year.
Brenda’s life will be celebrated at 2 PM on Sunday, July 27th, in the chapel of Robinson Funeral Home, Appomattox, Virginia, officiated by Rev. John Moxley.
Instead of flowers, the family requests donations to be made in honor of Brenda and her son, Eric Reasor, to Lynchburg Daily Bread, https://www.lynchburgdailybread.com/.
Robinson Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the family. An online condolence may be sent by visiting www.robinsonfuneral.com.
